Method of and apparatus for manufacturing gas



(Ne Model.) 2 sheets sheet 1L- J. H.LADD. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORMANUFACTURING GAS.

No. 590,893. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

F Z J? I? A! A0 I c z l if" w V 1720672507? .ZM' Ja'mmzhk r wdd;

YNE NuRms PETERS co. wow-Luna. wAsHmg'roN. a. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. LADD. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS. No. 590,893.Patented Sept. 28,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rnica JOHN HASKINS LADD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,893, datedSeptember 28, 1897.

Application filed July 13,1895. Serial No. 555,866. (No model.) Patentedin England May 27,1895, N0.10,4'77.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HASKINS LADD, engineer, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at London, England, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for the Man ufactu re ofFixed Hydrocarbon Gas, (in relation to which British Letters Patent No.10,477 were granted me on May 27, 1895,) of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, and Fig. 2 aplan, with parts broken away, showing my improved apparatus. Fig. 3 is asection on the linecc 00, Fig. 2, drawn to an enlarged scale,illustrating a detail of construction.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

My invention relates to anew method of and to an improved apparatus forthe manufacture of fixed hydrocarbon gas suitable for various purposes,more especially where great heat is required and for incandescentlighting.

My invention consists in carbureting hot air with a hot hydrocarbonvapor and charg ing the hot carbureted air with vapor of water at atemperature-between the freezingpoint and the steam-generating point.

The hot carbureted air previous to its contact with the water particlesis not a fixed gas, but if imprisoned in a retort, pipe, or gasometerwill separate, the liquid hydrocarbon falling to the bottom of thereceptacle. I find it to be a fact, however, that by causing acarbureted hot-air blast to take up vapor of water a permanently-fixedgas is formed and that .this gas can be stored a great length of time orconveyed in mains or pipes great distances without disintegration or anydeterioration in its heating or lighting properties. A

It is a fact known to me by long experience with the Stringfellowprocess and apparatus hereinafter mentioned that the use of an airblastof normal temperature (when such air-blast is of great volume and ofgreat velocity) prevents that proper vaporization of the liquidhydrocarbon which is essential to the production in large quantities offixed hydrocarbon gas.

I have discovered the fact that to produce the best res ulls on a largescale it is essential in carbureting an air-blast of great volume and ofgreat velocity to heat both the air and the liquid hydrocarbon and tobring them bot-h together in a chamber wherein the temperature isconstantly above the temperature at which the liquid hydrocarboncongeals.

I attribute the marked practicalsuccess of my improved method not merelyto the mere application of heat in a loose sense to the airblastandliquid hydrocarbon, but rather to the interaction of therapidly-moving molecules of hydrocarbon and hot air, whereby, physicallyat least, an intimate association of the hydrocarbon and atmosphericmolecules is obtained, and I am inclined to think that a new chemicalaction or effect is produced by the subjection of the hydrocarbonmolecules to the rapidly-movin g atmospheric molecules, and my theoryalso is that the carbureted hot-air blast has a radically-differentphysicochemical effect on the water particles from that of an air-blastat normal temperature.

In the specifications of the United States Letters PatentNo. 457,48l,granted August 11, 1891,31'161 No.467,266,granted January 19,1892, toStringfellow, there are described a process and apparatus for themanufacture of a new gas, which consists of atmospheric air,hydrocarbon, and the vapor of water, and is adaptedforheatingandincandescentlighting. Inthe process and apparatus describedin the said specifications atmospheric air at its ordinary or normaltemperature is first caused to pass through absorbent material saturatedwith liquid hydrocarbon at the ordinary or atmospheric temperature, sothat the air will take up some of the vapor of the hydrocarbon, and thecarbureted air is t-hen caused to pass through absorbent porous materialsaturated with Water at its normal temperature. The Stringfellow processis based on the discovery that carbureted air at normal temperature canbe charged with vapor of water to produce a gas for heating-andincandescent lighting. In actual practice under the Stringfellow patentsI found first that there was some deposit of oily or greasy matter inthe chamber where the carbureted-air blast of normal temperature wasbrought into intimate contact with the vapor of water at normaltemperature. IVhile the resultsthe gas-which I have obtained werepronounced impossible by experts with whom I consulted, yet the resultsare facts heretofore fully and completely demonstrated at my works inLondon and are now admitted as actualities by the experts. I mentionthis because I do not know exactly what chemical or physicochemicalaction occurs; but I discovered several important facts in the course ofmy experiments, and those facts are:

First. By heating the air-blast the refrigeration that occurred in theStringfellow carbu reting-chamber, (wherein the air-blast was ofnormal'temperature,) when the Stringfellow process was continuallyworked under the considerable pressure or exhaust necessary on a largescale, was absolutely prevented, and constant vaporization of the liquidhydrocarbon effected without producing a snowstorm or congealing theliquid hydrocarbon in the carbureting-chamber. I found, 110W- ever, thatthe use of the hot-air blast alone did not prevent the deposit of oilyor greasy matter in the water-chamber and that the gas produced wasstill lacking in absolute fixit-y.

Second. I discovered it to be afact that by heating the liquidhydrocarbon and subjecting it to the action of the hot-air blast whiledispersed or suspended on the screens no deposit whatever of oily orgreasy matter is preceptible in the water-chamber and that the gasproduced is an absolutely permanently-fixed gas according to theseverest tests known to my expert advisers.

Third. It was also discovered by chemists under my direction that theproducts of combustion of my improved gas revealed not the faintesttrace of carbon monoxid and not the faintest trace of hydrocarbon.

The analysis of the products of combustion of my new gas is as follows:

Nitrogen '72. 6

Carbon dioxid 14. 9

Oxygen 12. 5

Carbon monoxid O.

Hydrocarbons 0.

Just what the scientific reasons of this improvement are I do not know,but my theory is that the rapid molecular action of this heatedcarbureted-air blast on the vapor of water produces a physicochemicalchange that instantaneously contributes to the permanent fixity of thegas produced. By air-blast I mean to include a current of air producedby either a blower or by an exhaust. 'The effect of the decomposition ofthe water in the gas at the point of burning gives a perfection ofcombustion, and thus produces with a certain expenditure of hydrocarbon,combined with the hot air and water, a maximum degree of heat obtainablefrom the combination, and it is a fact that better results are obtainedby directing the carburcted hot-air blast against and past particles ofwater suspended or spread on screens than are ob tained by directing thecarbureted hot-air blast directly against the surface of a body ofwater.

The value of the water treatment was observed in connection with theStringfellow process under the following conditions: Two parallelexperiments were conducted with a small Stringfellow apparatus, one withand the other Without the water. Exactly the same amount of benzin wasused in both tests and all the conditions were precisely the same,excepting as above noted in regard to the water and also in regard .tothe pressure under which the gas was delivered to the burners, it beingconsiderably greater, for unavoidable reasons, with the dry gas thanwith the wet gas. The amount of heat practically generated by both kindsof gas was then observed, and it was found that with the use of waterupward of ten per cent. more heat was produced than without it. \Viththe exception of the water the only condition not rigorously the same inthe two tests was the difference in the pressure of the gas, but this,in my opinion, would not account for more than a part, if for any, ofthe difference in heat obtained. Varming of the water with the vapor ofwhich the carbureted hot air is charged is essential at low temperaturesof the atmosphere, for the temperatures of the hot carbureted air and ofthe water-vapor should always be about the same. It has also been foundthat by reason in the Stringfellow apparatus of the refrigeration due tothe evaporation of the liquid hydrocarbon the tern perature in thecarburetingchamber is reduced to such a low degree that the liquidhydrocarbon is congealed and the process cannot be effectively carriedon continuously on a large commercial scale.

My present invention is chiefly designed to overcome the practicalobjection to the Stringfellow process and apparatus and to provide forthe manufacture of an absolutely permanent or fixed gas, according tothe present technical standard, in a more rapid, efficient, and reliablemanner than has been heretofore practicable. To this end I force a blastof heated atmospheric air against and past particles of heated liquidhydrocarbon, feeding heated liquid hydrocarbon continuously into acarbureting-chamber and allowing it to fall upon absorbent porousmaterial, so that the liquid hydrocarbon is divided up and placed in themost favorable condition for vaporization in said chamber, saturatingabsorbent porous material in another cham her with water, so that thewater is divided up and placed in the most favorable condition forabsorption by the carbureted hot air, passing the heated air firstthrough the absorbent porous material saturated with the heated liquidhydrocarbon, and then passing this heated carurated with water.

bureted air through the porous material sat- In some instances I alsowarm the water with which the said absorbent material is saturated, butin some in stances the water is sufficiently raised in temperature bythe heat of the carbureted air.

In practice I have heretofore heated the air to about 176 Fahrenheit andthe liquid hydrocarbon to about the same temperature, but at the timethe hot carbureted-air blast comes into contact with the vapor of wateror water particles its temperature will be found to be considerablydecreased, usually to about Fahrenheit, and if the temperature of theoutside atmosphere be lower the water should be warmed to about 65Fahrenheit.

ages of those observed by me in actual practice, but I do not mean tolimit my invention to them.

Any and all effective temperatures of the air, hydrocarbon, and water Iconsider within the scope of my invention.

Other features of my invention relate to a form of apparatus suitableforuse in carrying out my new process.

Referring to the drawings, A is the carbureting vessel or chamber.

13 is the vessel in which the carbureted air is charged with vapor orwater.

0 is the reservoir for the carbureting fluid, which reservoir isprovided with a gage-glass CL and with a drain-cock b.

To provide for raising and regulating the temperature of the liquidhydrocarbon as required, I arrange in the reservoir 0 a coil 0, throughwhich steam, hot water, hot air, or any other suitable heating mediummay be circulated; or I can, if desired, provide the said reservoir witha casing orjacket through which the heating medium is caused tocirculate. I provide the outlet-pipe s or the steam or other heatingmedium with a cook or valve 3, so that the temperature of the liquidhydrocarbon can be' easily regulated as desired. The fluid hydrocarboncan thus be heated more or less, according to its specific gravityandaccording to the atmospheric temperature so as to insure the requisiterate of evaporation of the said hydrocarbon.

The carbureter A is provided with an inlet-pipe D, controlled by a cookor valve D, for the admission of the air to be carbureted, which air ispreviously heated, as hereinafter described. The pipe D extends downwardin the vessel A and discharges the air overa conical deflector ordistributer 0 into a space inclosed by dome-shaped screens or frames E,covered with absorbent porous material F, which is kept saturated withliquid hydrocarbon. Above the domes or screens E,Iprovide conical ordished frames or screens E, also covered with absorbent porous material,which are arranged. one above another and which extend between theair-pipe D and the The foregoing temperatures are fair averwall of thevessel A, every alternate frame or screen E being inverted.

The hot liquid hydrocarbon is fed continually from the reservoir 0 uponthe screens or frames E, preferably, but not necessarily, by means ofthe tank G in the upper part of the carbureterA through a pipe d,controlled by a cock cl. The tank G, if used, is provided with a seriesof nozzles J, formed on pipes radiating from tubes or barrels J ,whichare secured in the under side of the said tank and are closed at theirlower end. The flow of the liquid hydrocarbon through these tubes iscontrolled by screw-down valves J the stems of which extend throughstuffing-boxes in the cover of the carbureter A, so that they may beoperated from the exterior thereof. From the nozzles J the liquidhydrocarbon drops on the surface of the uppermost screens E and runsdown through and over its surface, any liquid which does not percolatethrough the absorbent material flowing toward the periphery of thevessel, whence it runs inward over and percolates through the secondscreen and then outward over and through the third screen, and so on. Ialso provide a floatfon the liquid in the tank G, having an index rod orstem f passing up through the cover of the vessel and working in a'glasstube g, so that the depth of liquid in said tank may be readilyascertained at any time.

The vesselA is provided at thetop with an outlet-pipe K, controlled by acook or valve K, for. conducting the carhureted air into thewater-chamber B. This pipe extends nearly to the bottom of the saidchamber, where it opens over a conical deflector or distributer 0' intoa space inclosed by domes or screens E covered with absorbent porousmaterial F. This absorbent material is kept saturated with water bycapillary attraction from a supply of water which is maintained in thebottom of the vessel B for this purpose. For raising the temperature ofthis water when necessary a coil B is arranged in the lower part of thesaid vessel B and is provided with a cook or valve Z) to permit ofregulating the temperature of the water as required; or I provideaheating-jacket around the lower part of the vessel B for the purpose ofraising the temperature of the Water. The vessel or chamber B isprovided with an outlet-pipe L for the gas, controlled bya cock or valveL, also with a filling funnel and valve h for the introduction of thewater and with a drain-cock t, whereby it may be emptied when required.

For the purpose of heating the air entering through the pipe D, Iprovide a suitable air receiver and connections, consisting-in thisinstance of an air-receiver N, comprising a series of tubes N, throughwhich the air passes and which are heated externally by steam 'or anyother suitable heating medium circulated through an outer vessel orcasing IIO having inlet and outlet openings 7:. Z and provided on theoutlet Z to permit of regulating the temperature of the air as required.

The space above the screens E in the water-chamber B is preferablyconnected with pipe D controlled by a cook or valve D with theair-supply pipe D or with the airreceiver, so that uncarbureted air maywhen desired be mixed with the gas to dilute the same.

I find that it is not necessary to pass the air used for diluting thegas through the screens or Vaporizers in the water-chamber, as in theapparatus described in the said former patent, No. 457,484, and thatbetter results are obtained by the arrangement above described.

Atmospheric air is either forced into the air-reservoir N or is drawninto the apparatus by means of a pump inserted in the outlet or deliverytube L, as may be found most desirable, so as to permit of the gas beingused under pressure. The air is heated on its way through the receiver Nand enters the space below the screens E in the vessel A, and passingthrough the absorbent porous material F on the screens E E takes up aproportion of hydrocarbon vapor from the liquid hydrocarbon with whichthe said porous material is saturated, this liquid hydrocarbon havingbeen previously heated to a suitable temperature by means of the coil 0in the reservoir 0. The carbureted air is then conducted through thepipe K into the space heneath the screens E in the vessel B, and passingthrough the absorbent material on the said screens, which are saturatedwith water at a suitable temperature, takes up more or less of the vaporof the water. From the vessel B the gas passes out through the pipe L.

Should it be found that the gas is too rich in hydrocarbon vaporand'vapor of water, I provide an additional supply of air from the pipeD through the by-pass D this air mixin g with the gas in the space abovethe screens E in the chamber B and diluting it as re quired.

By the means above described I am enabled to very accurately regulatethe temperature of the air and liquid hydrocarbon supplied to theapparatus and also the temperature of the wateraceording to the degreeof volatility of the hydrocarbon employed oraccording to the atmospherictemperature, as may be required. It is desirable to have the air, thehydrocarbon, and the water all at about the same temperature, which willvary somewhat according to the grade of the hydrocarbon employed andother conditions. The water, however, should in no case be convertedinto steam, but should only be warmed, so as to facilitate to someextent its vaporization when absorbed by the screens or domes.

It will be found most advantageous to heat the-air, the liquidhydrocarbon, and the water to such temperatures that the liquidhydrocarbon on the domes or screens of absorbent porous material in thecarbureting-ehamher A will be at about the same degree of temperature asthe air passing through such domes or screens, and the water on thedomes or screens of absorbent porous material in the water-chamber Bwill be at about the same degree of temperature as the carbureted airpassing through the domes or screens. The effect of applying the heat tothe air, liquid hydrocarbon, and water in this manner is that no depositof hydrocarbon from the carbureted air will be caused by reduction ofthe temperature of the carbureted air while the same is taking up thevapor of water. Subsequent cooling of the gas cannot cause condensationof the hydrocarbon vapor for the reason that the mixture of thewater-vapor with the carbureted air produces a fixed gas.

In heating the air previous to its passing into the carbureting-chamberregard should be had to the raising of the temperature of the air bycompression of the same when it is forced under pressure into theair-receiver, and the temperature of the air and of the liquidhydrocarbon should be maintained at such a degree as to overcome therefrigerating effect of the rapid evaporation in thecarbureting-chamber.

To insure the proper flow of the liquid hyd rocarbon to the screensthrough tank G when that is used, I connect the supply tank or reservoir0 at its upper end with theair-rcceiver N or with the air-inlet pipe Dby means of the pipe (P, so that the pressure above the liquidhydrocarbon in the supply tank or receiver 0 corresponds to that in thecarbureting-chamber A.

The gas produced in this manner is useful for a great variety ofindustrial purposes, more especially those in which great heat isrequired. It is also useful for lighting purposes in conjunction withmantles or other bodies which can be rendered incandescent by the heatwithout destroying them.

In lieu of tank G, nozzles J, tubes J, and valve J any other suitabledistributing devices may be employed.

My apparatus may be altered, if desired, in many other respects withoutdeparture from my invention. I

What I claim is 1. The improved method herein described of making afixed gas from air, hydrocarbon and Water, said method consisting inearbureting hot air with a hot hydrocarbon vapor and charging thecarbureted air with vapor of water below the steam-generating point.

2. The improved method herein described of making a fixed gas from air,hydrocarbon and water, said method consisting in direct ing a hot-airblast against and past hot particles of hydrocarbon and then directingthe hot carbureted air against and past particles of water below thesteam-generating point.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a fixed gas made from air,hydrocarbon, and water by hot carburization of hot air and charging thecarbureted air with vapor of water below the steam-generating point.

at. In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas which consists ofatmospheric air, hydrocarbon and the vapor of water the combination withthe carbureting-chamber A and the water-chamber 13 connected therewith,of an air-heater L connected with the air-inlet pipe D of saidcarbureting-chamber, a distributing-tank Gin the upper part of saidcarbureting chamber, having separatelycontrolled discharge-pipes J, anoil-reservoir G,

' provided with means for heating the oil there'- in, a pipe dprovided'with a controlling valve or cock (1 connecting said reservoirwith said distributing-tank, and a heater B in the lower part of saidwater-chamber, substantially as and for the purposes above specified. 5.In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas Which consists of atmosphericair, hydrocarbon and the vapor of water, the combination with thecarbureting-chamber A and the water-chamber B, of an air-heater Nconnected with the air-inlet pipe D of said carbureting-chamber, adistributing-tank Gin the upper part of said carbureting-chamber, anoil-reservoir C, a pipe 01 provided with a controlling valve or cook 61connecting said reservoir with said distributing-tank, a pipe (Zconnecting the air-space of said heater with the upper part of saidreservoir, and means forheatin g said reservoir,substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

} 6. In an apparatus for making gas which consists of atmospheric air,hydrocarbon and the vapor of water, the combination, with the screens ordomes of absorbent porous material and the distributing-tank for theliquid hydrocarbon arranged above the same in the carbureting-chamber,of the conical or dished screens of absorbent porous material arrangedone above another in said chamber between said domes and thedistributingtank, every alternate conical or dished screen beinginverted, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas which consists ofatmospheric air, hydrocarbon and the vapor of water, the combinationwith a carbureting-chamber having a screen of absorbent porous materialarranged therein; and a water chamber connected therewith and alsoprovided internally with a screen of absorbent porous material; of anair-heater connected with the air-inlet pipe of said carburetingchamber; a sprinklingdistributer in the upper part of saidcarbureting-chamber for sprinkling the oil upon said screens; anoil-reservoir exterior to the carbureting chamber and provided withmeans for heating the oil therein; and apipe provided with a controllingvalve or cook connecting said reservoir with said distributer; and apressure-forming apparatus which produces pressure in theair-carbureting and water chambers.

JOHN I-IASKIN S LADD.

IVitnesses DAVID YOUNG,- ALEXANDER W. ALLEN.

